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AFP chief to push for Code of Conduct in South China Sea
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay vowed to support the development of a code of conduct between Southeast Asian nations and China in the disputed South China Sea aimed at restraining hostile acts among claimants.
“The Philippines supports the conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, which will be an important and lasting legacy of the ASEAN and China in ensuring peace, security and stability in the area,” Gapay said during the 17th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Meeting (ACDFM).
“I am confident that we will achieve a strengthened security relationship towards a cohesive and responsive ASEAN. After all, we have a shared commitment and mutual responsibility in dealing with common regional security challenges and in preserving the region’s stability,” he added.
In August 2018, ASEAN and China agreed to a single draft of the code of conduct or COC, with an agreement reached in November 2018 for both sides to finalize the document within three years, starting from 2019.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. earlier called for the resumption
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At the forum, the AFP chief also laid down proposed measures to counter terrorism in the country.
This includes increased maritime border patrol operations, improvement of existing mechanism for bomb data exploitation, as well as advocating peace-related initiatives through different social media platforms among others.
The ACDFM is a venue where defense chiefs of ASEAN countries discuss prominent issues and concerns of mutual interests.
Gapay also called for unity and mutual trust amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“ASEAN must be united, now more than ever, with the ongoing crisis brought about by the effects of COVID-19. As nations across the globe, not only within ASEAN, exert great efforts to fight this pandemic, the armed forces are being called by our respective governments to perform a great deal of supporting tasks,” he said.
The chiefs of the defense forces of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand attended the event.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News